Judge fines Boulder dog owner $500 in 'extremely sad' case

Dale Eggers ordered to pay fine, keep dog out of trouble

Anna Beth and Virgil Grotzky, in one of the last photos taken of the couple together. Anna Beth Grotzky died in August, following an incident involving a dog that was running off leash. The dog s owner pleaded no contest on Monday.
(
COURTESY PHOTO
)

A Boulder woman whose dog sprinted from an open door last year -- spooking an elderly neighbor who fell and later died as a result of her injuries -- pleaded no contest Monday to a municipal charge of having a dog off leash.

Dale Eggers, 65, was ordered to pay the maximum fine of $500. The judge agreed to reduce the amount by $175 if Bartleby, Eggers' Airedale terrier, keeps out of trouble for at least two years. The usual fine for a first-time offense is $50.

In sentencing Eggers, Municipal Judge Linda P. Cooke said the "very unusual" and "extremely sad" case should serve as a warning to all dog owners about the importance of following leash laws.

"I'm hoping this case will become something of a symbol," Cooke said. "This case clearly represents the worst-case scenario of what can happen when a dog is at large."

The family of Anna Beth Grotzky agreed.

Grotzky, 87, fell outside of her home in the 900 block of Seventh Street in south Boulder on the evening of July 27. Her family believes Bartleby ran from Eggers' front door as her son arrived for a visit, jumped on Grotzky and knocked her to the ground.

Grotzky broke her hip, and elected to have surgery to replace it several days later. But the surgery required her to go off blood-thinning medications, which doctors believe led to a blood clot and fatal heart attack.

Grotzky's daughter, Janeane Golliher, spoke during Monday's hearing.

"This was an accident, but it was so totally preventable," she said. "If by citing this case you can convince even one person to take responsibility (for keeping a dog under control), it might save a life or prevent an injury."

Golliher said the family doesn't blame the dog for what happened, and they don't intend to file a lawsuit in their mother's death.

Eggers, who currently lives in San Diego, didn't make a statement during the hearing and declined to comment through her attorney, David Harrison.

Harrison told the judge that, since the incident last summer, Eggers voluntarily enrolled Bartleby in behavior training and installed dog-proof gates and screens on her Boulder home.

The judge said that no one involved could have foreseen the tragedy that unfolded, but urged the public to use the case as a cautionary tale.

"This can be an opportunity to educate the public about the potential seriousness of having your dog off leash in this community," Cooke said.

Billionaires, entertainers and athletes alike announced their intentions to pursue the Los Angeles Clippers with varying degrees of seriousness Wednesday, proving the longtime losers will be quite a prize if the NBA is able to wrest control of the team away from Donald Sterling after his lifetime ban for racist remarks. Full Story

Louie, who (like Louis) is a New York comic and a divorced father of two daughters, knows struggle and angst and cloudy wonderment. He views life through eyes with a stricken look, dwelling in a state of comfortable dread. Full Story